From Tropea: Lipari, Panarea and Stromboli by Night

About This Experience

Check in at the Eolie Savadori desk at Tropea's fishing harbour at least 30 minutes before departure, show your booking and pay the Aeolian landing tax (€5 from June to September, €2.50 from October to May) in cash. The boat is a large excursion vessel shared with many passengers, with commentary over the microphone in Italian, English and German. It reaches Lipari's Marina Corta around 12:30 and stays until about 3 pm.

On Lipari you can visit the Archaeological Museum, walk the main street and have lunch in town, or join an optional island boat tour at extra cost. The operator advises against a beach swim here, as the nearest beaches need a taxi. Panarea follows, arriving at San Pietro around 3:45 pm and leaving at about 5 pm, with time for the village lanes, the shops and a granita. There is no swimming on this stop.

The boat reaches Stromboli at about 5:50 pm and leaves at 7:30 pm, with boarding starting ten minutes earlier. The boat will not wait, so be back on time. The black sand beaches are close to the harbour, so this is the place to swim, and there is time for a walk into the village and an early dinner.

After leaving Stromboli the boat waits about 30 minutes in front of the Sciara del Fuoco, weather and sea permitting, to watch the volcano in the dark. Activity varies, so explosions are never certain. The return is late: around 10:30 pm at Tropea and 11:30 pm at Vibo Marina. All times are indicative and confirmed by the on-board guide on the day.

Highlights

• Three islands ashore in one day: Lipari, Panarea and Stromboli
• Around two and a half hours on Lipari for the museum, the main street and lunch
• San Pietro on Panarea in the late afternoon, for a walk and a granita
• Swimming from the black sand beaches beside Stromboli's harbour
• About 30 minutes off the Sciara del Fuoco after dark, sea permitting

What's Included

• ✓ Boat trip from Tropea to Lipari, Panarea and Stromboli
• ✓ Free time ashore on Lipari and Panarea
• ✓ Time on Stromboli with a chance to swim near the harbour
• ✓ A stop of about 30 minutes in front of the Sciara del Fuoco, sea permitting
• ✓ On-board guide with microphone commentary in Italian, English and German

Not Included

• Aeolian Islands landing tax (€5 from June to September, €2.50 from October to May), paid in cash at check-in
• Meals and drinks
• Entrance fees, including Lipari's Archaeological Museum
• Optional boat tour of Lipari (extra cost)
• Transport to and from the departure port
• Gratuities

What to Bring

• Cash for the landing tax (€5 from June to September, €2.50 from October to May) and for spending on the islands
• Swimwear and a towel for Stromboli
• A warm layer for the night crossing
• Sunscreen and a hat
• Comfortable shoes for walking in the villages

Good to Know & Caveats

• Be at Tropea port at least 30 minutes before departure to check in and pay the landing tax (€5 from June to September, €2.50 from October to May) in cash.
• Island times are indicative; the on-board guide confirms each departure time on the day.
• The boat leaves Stromboli at a fixed time, around 7:30 pm, so don't be late back to the boat.
• The Sciara del Fuoco stop depends on the weather and sea, and in rough conditions the captain may head straight home.
• This is a large boat shared with many passengers, and it is a long day with a late return.
• Card payment can be limited on the islands, so carry cash.

Meeting Point

Eolie Savadori boarding desk, Porto Pescatori, Via Marina, Contrada Marina Vescovado, 89861 Tropea; the boat also returns passengers to Vibo Marina.